Teens Get Failing Grade on Understanding Climate Change

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Only one-fourth of American teenagers receive a passing grade on
their climate change awareness and understanding, says a new poll
from Yale University.

Only about half of teens accurately
believe climate change is occurring, and even of those not
many understand why. Overall, 54 percent of teens received a
failing grade, compared with 46 percent of adults. Only 6 percent
of teens polled have an A or B level of understanding of climate
change, while 41 percent have C or D grade.

The study polled 517 American middle- and high-school students,
and 1,513 adults from homes throughout the country. Participants
were asked about various facts regarding climate change. Scores
of about 90 percent correct got an A, those between 80 and 89 got
a B, between 70 and 79 got a C (passing grades), while those
between 60 and 69 got a D and those below 59 got an F (failing
grades).

Misconceptions and limited understanding

Many of the teens polled had serious misconceptions about the
causes of and
solutions to climate change, which led some of them to doubt
its occurrence, humanity's involvement in the process or to
understand its causes and solutions.

In many ways teens showed less understanding of climate change
than did adults:

54 percent of teens say that global warming is happening,
compared with 63 percent of adults;

35 percent of teens understand that most scientists agree
global warming is happening, compared with 39 percent of adults;

46 percent of teens understand that emissions from cars and
trucks substantially contribute to global warming, compared with
49 percent of adults; and

17-18 percent of teens have heard of coral bleaching or ocean
acidification, compared with 25 percent of adults.

Teens are also confused about the relationships between climate
change and other environmental issues, including the hole
in the ozone layer, which is a region of thinned ozone over
the South Pole. About 35 percent of teens incorrectly believe
that the ozone hole is a large contributor to climate change; 21
percent believe aerosol cans play a role in climate change (they
don't), and 44 percent believe stopping rockets from punching
holes in the atmosphere would reduce global warming — something
not supported by science.

On some questions teens did prove themselves savvier than their
elders:

57 percent of teens understand that global warming is caused
mostly by human activities, compared with 50 percent of adults;

77 percent of teens understand that the greenhouse effect
refers to gases in the atmosphere that trap heat, compared with
66 percent of adults;

52 percent of teens understand that carbon dioxide traps heat
from the Earth’s surface, compared with 45 percent of adults;

71 percent of teens understand that carbon dioxide is
produced by the burning of fossil fuels, compared with 67 percent
of adults.

The teens recognized their limited understanding of the issues:
less than 1 in 5 would call themselves "very well informed" about
climate change, and only 27 percent note they have "learned a
lot" about the issue in school. But, there is hope. When asked,
70 percent of teens say they would like to know more about
climate change.

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